Solar panels are a green alternative to generating electric power. Large scale power generation can include arrays of solar panels located in outdoor environments for conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. However, solar panels located in outdoor environments are exposed to sand, dust, dirt and other debris that can collect on the surfaces of the solar panels and reduce the ability of the panels to absorb light and convert it into electricity. This problem is magnified when panels are located in arid environments, such as deserts which receive high levels of solar radiation and few overcast days because these environments tend to have high levels of dust and wind leading to high deposition rates on the surface of the panels.
Robots or other cleaning vehicles can be used to assist in the cleaning of solar panels. For example, Saudi Aramco has developed a Robotic Dust Mitigation robot. Certain robots or cleaning vehicles utilize brushes with c-channels that hold the brush flaps in place. A cleaning brush, for instance, can include any combination of cleaning components, such as filaments, bristles, flaps of cloth-like material and the like, each of which is attached to the extrusion at the channel grooves. Over time and after extended use, the brush flaps must be replaced. Because of the shape of a c-channel, prior methods of replacing brush flaps required access to the ends of the brush core aluminum extension or c-channel so that the brush flaps can be slid into place. Tools were necessary to disassemble the brush so that the brush flaps could be replaced, adding to the operating and maintenance cost of the robot or cleaning vehicle. This is the method used by NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,500,918. Typically, the ends of the c-channel grooves have caps or hubs that need to be removed. If the brush that is to be replaced is in the middle of a series, all of the series elements need to be removed before the replacement piece can be added. Even after the brushes are inserted into the c-channel, they can slide along the channel unless sufficiently secured.
Materials are connected to c-channels in a variety of other industries, including the automotive industry. Car washes, for example, utilize c-channel brushes (e.g., FAVAGROSSA or SONNY'S THE CAR WASH FACTORY®). The brushes use a form of extruded material (often aluminum) with c-channels and an element that fits into the channel and supports either brush filaments or a cloth-like material. Similar to the robots and cleaning vehicles discussed above, access to the ends of the c-channel groove is necessary to replace the connected material for these brushes. Therefore, a tool-less solution to replacing materials in a c-channel is desirable.
Post-assembly nuts or T-nuts sold by aluminum extrusion manufacturers (such as by MINSUMI, MINITEC®, and REXROTH BOSCH) can be used to mount materials onto aluminum extrusions without requiring access to the ends of the c-channel groove. Even though the end of the c-channel does not need to be accessed, tools (e.g., screwdriver, screws) are still required. These nuts are also not designed to hold cloth-like materials, such as those used in certain types of brushes.
The present invention addresses the limitations associated with attaching and detaching material to a c-channel by allowing for the material to be attached or detached at any point along the c-channel. Because the material does not need to be slid into the c-channel through the end of the channel, the need for tools is eliminated and replacement time is minimized. The placement flexibility also allows for elements in the middle of a series to be easily replaced. For large scale markets, this potentially allows for significant cost savings.
The present invention addresses these and other limitations associated with attaching and detaching materials onto c-channel grooves.